CAF strips Ghana off hosting U-17 qualifiers

CAF has confirmed stripping Ghana off the hosting rights for the Africa U-17 Qualifying Championships.

The continental football governing body has handed these rights to Niger in the latest episode of the ongoing crisis in Ghana football.

Football activities in the West African country have grinded to a halt following moves by government to dissolve the Ghana FA.

This is in the aftermath of the screening of an undercover investigation which exposed corruption amongst some high ranking members of the Ghana FA and a number of referees.

Kwesi Nyantakyi who was caught in the expose has since resigned from his post as Ghana FA boss and the first Vice President of CAF.

It is widely believed Ghana was handed the hosting rights due to Nyantakyi.

His exit, coupled with the ongoing crisis in Ghana football have seen CAF rethink their decision for Ghana to host the WAFU Zone B qualifying championships for the Africa U-17 tournament which will be hosted next year by Tanzania.

Each of the six Zonal Unions (CECAFA, COSAFA, UNAF, UNIFFAC, WAFU A, WAFU B) will organise their regional qualifiers featuring teams from the zone. UEFA, through its UEFA ASSIST programme, is supporting the qualifiers.

This new qualifying format is part of the suggested reforms discussed at the first ever CAF African Football Symposium in July 2017 in Rabat (Morocco) which was approved by the CAF Executive Committee.

Ghana will now have to travel to Niger to compete against the likes of Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger, Benin and the host nation for the sole qualification slot.